You guys can laugh at me

"smobgirl" (smobgirl)
03/31/2019 at 11:13 • Filed to: None

But I just put 400 miles on this and I liked it.

I think it has a lot to do with it being very comfortable for someone my height. I’m not short, but I’m short enough that getting a seating position where I’m comfortable with pedals can make me feel too close to the wheel, yet still unable to reach half of the touch screen (and it’s much worse if there’s a clutch) . I got this 100% dialed in, mirrors included, AND it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a bus like the damn Pathfinder I rented Tuesday-Wednesday.

I’d say it’s in my top 5 rentals. Maybe top 3, but that requires too much analysis for me to solidify right now.

DISCUSSION (53)

Sovande > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:23

What kind of car is it? A Hondamazdatoyotafordkiahyundai?

Chuckles > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:27

I know as car enthusiasts we're all supposed to hate crossovers, but ergonomically they are pretty nice. I drove my friend's CR-V and thought "this is a nice place to be."

McMike > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:29

What is it?

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:29

I like the blue.

Cé hé sin > Sovande
03/31/2019 at 11:30

I think the last of those.

412GTI > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:30

Ride wasn’t too rough? That seems like the big complaint with these things.

ranwhenparked > Chuckles
03/31/2019 at 11:33

Except the Escape, maybe. I did 70,000 miles in those over. 2 1/2 years, and they are miserable.

boxrocket > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:34

Kona has pretty good reviews. Too bad it’s so awkward-looking . Whoever was in charge of the rear end should be literally kicked out of the design studio.

Chuckles > ranwhenparked
03/31/2019 at 11:35

My parents have a first gen Escape. It's not bad, but it's a lot more similar to the old Rangers of that time than it is to modern crossovers.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:37

I see a lot of those on the road, and I think they look pretty neat.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > McMike
03/31/2019 at 11:42

Kona

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:43

The Kona is reviewed very positively. And with the Turbo 1,6 and AWD seems it’s pretty good to drive.

PS9 > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:46

Kinja'd!!!

HammerheadFistpunch > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:50

no hate from me, almost all my cars have been suvs and crossovers. these days crossovers are just goofier looking wagons and hatches with more versatility

HammerheadFistpunch > ranwhenparked
03/31/2019 at 11:50

i also hate the escape, current gen

ranwhenparked > Chuckles
03/31/2019 at 11:51

I can tell you the current model has deafening wind and road noise on the highway, thin, unsupportive seats, and crashes, bangs, and porpoises over the slightest road surface imperfections, and leans way over like it's going to tip if you don't slow to like 30mph under the limit in gentle curves.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Chuckles
03/31/2019 at 11:52

I Despise the first gen Escape. Mainly because my Dad traded my mom’s manual,03 Focus ZTW(wagon) for a 2005 Escape, and we both loved that car, and it was supposed to become my first car when I got my license, as that would have been when the Focus was paid off.

I would have loved to have a manual wagon as my first car.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 11:54

Love the color, the plastic on the fenders is VERY much overdone

Chuckles > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
03/31/2019 at 11:59

It sounds like your dislike of the Escape doesn’t actually have much to do with the Escape. I’ve driven my parent’s Escape a number times, and it’s fine for what it is.

I am also of the mindset that first cars should be bad so that you learn to appreciate better stuff later in life. I started with the family minivan, so when I bought an old Accord with a stuck shift it felt like a race car by comparison.

Chuckles > ranwhenparked
03/31/2019 at 12:02

A friend of mine is an inventory manager at a Ford dealership. I actually got my Miata from him because someone traded it in there. Now that Ford is giving up on cars, I doubt I’ll ever be calling him about something new.

CB > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:07

I dig it, it's pretty funky.

MUSASHI66 > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:09

One with DCT and 1.6L turbo is on the list for my wife’s next car.

Captain of the Enterprise > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:17

I like the Kona especially in green

Kinja'd!!!

lone_liberal > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:31

No laughter here. Being comfortable in the driver’s seat is extremely important, and you like what you like. Personally, my current DD is a CUV as will be my next one.

boredalways > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:37

Laugh at you?! Anytime you aren’t driving a Nissan Versa is a great day!!!

Also, even I can admit that Toyota is nice.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 12:38

The Kona is the only CUV I really like, I just wish it had a manual option! :(

Funktheduck > Captain of the Enterprise
03/31/2019 at 13:13

My mom is very close to getting one of these in this color

Captain of the Enterprise > Funktheduck
03/31/2019 at 13:32

Cool!

McMike > ranwhenparked
03/31/2019 at 13:53

I did 70,000 miles

That was one hell of a rental.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 13:54

I feel like the compact crosover makes a lot of sense, the styling is just hit or miss. Like the honda CR-V has always looked....right. And then you see the new subcompacts like the chevrolet trax and it’s just a whole lot of nope. The Kona looks properly funky but in a handsome way and it seems like they got the ergonomics right.

ranwhenparked > McMike
03/31/2019 at 14:02

That was over 2 1/2 years.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Chuckles
03/31/2019 at 15:02

I also hate the car itself. I basically learned to drive in it. My first car was an automatic 4 Cylinder 92 Camry. And compared to the Escape IT felt like a race car lol. The 99 stick shift Civic that replaced it was AMAZING. In comparison

Funktheduck > Captain of the Enterprise
03/31/2019 at 15:40

Yeah, she’s been talking about getting something newer (her car is currently 16 years old) for a while. This is the perfect size for her. She had never heard of it until I was talking cuv options. She won’t drive a car. Despite this being similar sized to my 3 it’s taller and that matters to her. She loves the color too. Convinced her to test drive it and now she has her car listed for sale.

fhrblig > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 15:50

It's alright. I know this is nuts, but I'd rather have a Jeep Renegade with an extended warranty.

smobgirl > ranwhenparked
03/31/2019 at 18:38

I did 1600 miles in an edge a few weeks ago and didn’t much like it either.

smobgirl > lone_liberal
03/31/2019 at 18:40

The only other modern car that clicked like this did was a Fiat, hence me now owning an Abarth. So...basically I need a faster manual Kona to show up in a couple years.

smobgirl > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/31/2019 at 18:41

You can see out of it much better than I expected, too . I tend to equate Hyundai with stupidly large blind spots, but it’s good.

smobgirl > boredalways
03/31/2019 at 18:42

He spent so much time trying to get me to pay for an upgrade that they gave the last Versa to the poor sucker ahead of me!! So I got this for the economy price :)

smobgirl > fhrblig
03/31/2019 at 18:42

I like how they look a LOT but I didn’t like driving them as much. At least in rental spec, which doesn’t really mean anything in the real world!

smobgirl > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/31/2019 at 18:43

Yesssss. I don’t mind the CX-3 either, but manual is a must.

smobgirl > 412GTI
03/31/2019 at 18:43

I drive an Abarth, so this was splendid

smobgirl > Sovande
03/31/2019 at 18:44

That’s sort of what I said when I saw it. Hyundai Kona, if you haven’t already googled!

smobgirl > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
03/31/2019 at 18:45

It was SO EASY to find in my hotel parking lot this morning. I’d buy the green, but this blue is nice too.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 19:01

If I had to get a CUV the Kona and the CX-3 would be the only two I would be interested in.

That being said, if I needed a CUV-type thing and the FIAT Panda was sold here.....I would buy that because Panda!

smobgirl > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/31/2019 at 19:15

PANDACROSS!!

Yeah I’m looking for a bigger (reliable) option so I can make the Fiat a problem. I’m c onsidering a Matrix or an Element, but if I wanted to spend more those two would be on my list for sure.

Captain of the Enterprise > Funktheduck
03/31/2019 at 19:28

Nice! Sounds like it’s time too

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 19:33

I really like how those look. Great color, too.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 19:40

Haha nice.

As Nibby would say, kinja publish blue is a hellava color.

boredalways > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 20:07

Noice!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > smobgirl
03/31/2019 at 20:45

Yeesssss! Panda Cross or Panda 4x4 would be what I want! Perfect Nova Scotian winter car as our winters can be bad, but not as bad as other places, so FWD is fine most of the time, but those few times you need 4x4 to get through something thick, you have it! :D

Kinja'd!!!

Plus, the Panda Cross just looks cool in current and previous guise :D

Kinja'd!!!

pip bip - choose Corrour > smobgirl
04/01/2019 at 04:12

manual?

Sovande > smobgirl
04/01/2019 at 05:00

Huh. I honestly didn't know. They all look the same.

smobgirl > pip bip - choose Corrour
04/01/2019 at 09:00

Lol, it’s a rental in the US. Not a chance. (Pretty sure even non-rental options don’t include a manual either).

It would be fun if it was!